Question

A nurse is preparing to administer ampicillin 40 mg/kg/day PO divided in equal doses every 6 hr to a toddler who weights 10 kg. Available is ampicillin oral suspension 125 mg/5 mL. How many mL should the nurse administer per dose? (Round the answer to the nearest whole number)

Answer 1

To calculate the mL of ampicillin oral suspension the nurse should administer per dose, multiply the weight of the toddler by the recommended dose per kilogram (40 mg/kg/day) and divide it by the number of doses per day. Then, divide the total daily dose by the number of doses per day and use the concentration ratio to convert it to mL.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the mL of ampicillin oral suspension the nurse should administer per dose, we need to calculate the total daily dose and divide it by the number of doses per day. The total daily dose is calculated by multiplying the weight of the toddler by the recommended dose per kilogram (40 mg/kg/day): 10 kg x 40 mg/kg/day = 400 mg/day. Since the oral suspension concentration is 125 mg/5 mL, we can calculate the mL per dose by dividing the total daily dose by the number of doses per day: 400 mg/day ÷ 4 doses/day = 100 mg/dose. To convert this to mL, we can use the ratio of 125 mg/5 mL: 100 mg x (5 mL ÷ 125 mg) = 4 mL.